Feline Scorn
by SailorSaiyan93
Summary: Post Super S episode:Much Ado About Kitten Upon realizing that Artemis has indeed been faithful to Luna and Diana is their child, no one really gives him an apology for all they had said and/or done to him. He makes it known that he doesn't intend to simply take such things, and they learn that trust goes both ways, for the accuser and the falsely accused.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: So, yeah. If you wanted to know what my most despised episode of Sailor Moon is, you're looking at it. Or rather, you're looking at something based on it. **

**I'll admit, I'm petty and get hung up on stuff in fiction, especially when someone is wronged and doesn't receive the proper apology and/or compensation they deserve. And 'Much Ado About Kitten' is definitely a prime example of what I hate. This is going to be incredibly short, mainly because there isn't much to go off of, and really, this is more or less me trying to make a more satisfying and better (at least in my eyes) ending to the episode.**

**I don't imply to know or dictate your tastes, but personally, I think that just one watch will give you an indication as to why I consider it such garbage. **

**That said, here's hoping you enjoy.**

**SM (c) of Naoko Takeuchi**

**Chapter 1: Retribution**

To think, it looked so beautiful when he first saw it.

"It…" the ivory cat murmured; blue eyes centered on the ground. "I just thought…it looked like such a lovely place to get married."

The ebony cat near him felt her face grow hot at the mention of it, her far more contrasting, almost reddened irises glistening at the thought of it.

"Love blooms!" Usagi shouted, seemingly declaring what had just occurred as a victory. In essence, she wasn't entirely wrong: the enemy had been denied another Dream Mirror, and even more, another innocent life had been spared.

A simple, kind nun that had been spotted in front of the chapel not long prior. Someone that the cat bedside him had oh so 'wisely' declared to be his 'secret' love.

"Daddy?" a small voice piped up, Artemis looking to the grey kitten. "I heard there's some good ice cream here. Could I taste some?"

The cat began to turn towards the only available male figure present amongst the multitude of women for advice…only to turn away at the last moment. Immediately, Mamoru detected something was amiss.

"Ask your mother." Artemis told Diana, voice smooth, yet lacking any semblance of warmth. "I…I'm sorry, but I can't stay here. Not right now."

The Sailor Soldiers took notice of the white cat making his way from the group, Minako stepping out amongst them. "Artemis, where are you going?"

The cat flinched…yet realized that, unlike before, he wasn't afraid. No, now that everything had been made clear…he had nothing to fear. Not for her, not from ANY of the women here. "I'm leaving." He told his owner, the bow headed girl somewhat unsettled by the uncharacteristic coldness in his tone. "Don't bother leaving the door unlocked, as I don't know whether or not I'll even be coming home tonight."

"What?" she began to approach him. "What are you talking about- "

"I'm surprised you've forgotten." The feline interrupted. "After all, I AM Benedict Artemis, or is that something else you all just decided to conveniently forget?"

She and girls froze, realizing, to their collective horror, what he was referring to. Luna herself had long broken out of her flustered haze, the events that had occurred prior playing back in her mind. None of which were particularly savory, let alone a good reflection of her character.

"Artemis," Minako began, her chest beginning to ache slightly, the harsh, if not downright cruel words she had delivered to him before echoing in her memory. "I…I'm sorry. I, we didn't know that- "

"Frankly, Minako, I'm not interested." The cat cut her off, everyone more than a little shocked. "Petty as it may be, you didn't give me the time of day to explain myself, let alone allow me to get a single word in, so give me a reason why I should do the same for you?"

The blonde could scarcely believe what she had just heard. No one else could either. Her mind wracked for something to say, baffled, yet more worried that, to her horror, she had hurt the cat far more than initially suspected. "Artemis, please." She began moving closer, Artemis in turn whirling around to face her.

"Leave me be." He hissed. "You've all done enough." His blue eyes shot a glare in Luna's direction, if not just out of instinct in visually indicating where most of his current animosity resided. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not she had even seen it, yet from where Usagi and the others were standing, they all saw the black cat's eyes widen, developing tears pricking at the edges. "Besides, if it takes that little for you to lose any sort of trust in me," the feline continued, glancing back at Luna, yet now centering a venom filled glower at the representative of Venus, of whom now found herself becoming choked up at the sight of it. True, he was angry, that much was obvious. He was outright furious. Yet there was more…traces of hurt and betrayal. Ironic…seeing what he had thrown at him not long ago. "I don't want to see any of you for a long while, so if you excuse me…" he began to turn away. "But then again, I suppose that you'd all be fine with that. Cheating, adulterous traitors aren't exactly welcome in your company."

"Artemis," another voice interjected, though it didn't belong to either Minako or Luna, the two more than drowning in shame. "I think I speak for everyone when I say that to jump to such conclusions was both uncouth and inexcusable of all of us." Ami explained, the cat not even turning back to face anyone this time. "And I don't' know what Minako told you," she glanced to the blonde, of whom couldn't even bring herself to face the guardian of Mercury. "But we have just as much blame to share as she and Luna."

"I figured that." The cat answered. "Someone had to tell her, after all." He then turned around; blue eyes centered on all of them now. "So, thank you. Thanks to each and every one of you for proving that your trust in me is so utterly flimsy and easily breakable."

"Artemis-"

"And another thing!" he interrupted. "Mamoru told me before that if one was to want to live in harmony with women, then they were to always be agreed with and were always right! But…no." he hissed. "I'm not giving that to you." He directed his line of sight towards Luna. "You don't get to do that with me. I'm not going to stand by and let you take your anger out on me, let alone treat me like trash, misunderstanding or not! Forgive me for disagreeing, Mamoru, but no, you don't get to do that just because you're a woman, Luna." The utterance of the other cat's name was laced with venom. " I refuse to be treated like I'm lower than dirt and not given the time of day, then for everything to be made fine again as if nothing happened! If anything, it just shows that none of you even fathom just how much you've hurt me. So, what you said about you wondering whether or not you could trust me again, Minako?" his eyes narrowed. "The feeling's mutual."

Everyone could've sworn that the blonde's heart shattered into a million pieces upon hearing that.

"No, it's not like that!" Minako shouted, her composure slipping, she rushing towards her companion, kneeling down to his level on one knee. "I…we were wrong, yes! We were all wrong, but we do trust you! I trust you! It's just…she just showed up out of nowhere-" the blonde gestured to the newly arrived grey kitten, of whom was puzzled as to what was going on, yet from what she could gather, at the very least, these girls, and perhaps her own mother, hadn't exactly been very kind to her father.

"No." Artemis growled, the hairs on his back rising. "Don't you dare place any sort of blame on her. She is a child. She has nothing to do with this. So don't you DARE think that you can shove what you've done onto her. This is YOUR doing, so own it. At least have SOME sort of maturity in all of this, at least once."

"I-I'm not." Minako protested. "I'm just saying, her arrival was a bit unexpected, so we kind of just- "

"Again, another lovely demonstration that trust built on devotion and years of friendship means nothing to any of you. But it's ok. Because 'you don't tell women they're wrong'."

"Artemis- "she reached forward, the cat moving back.

"Don't touch me."

Had she just heard that? "Please." She begged, wanting nothing more than to scoop up the feline in her arms. "Please, I'm sorry! I really am-

"Don't touch me!"

A sharp pain resonated on the top of her hand, Minako drawing it back to see a series of small, vertical marks of red trailing along her skin. He scratched her…he had just scratched her!?

"Hey!" Usagi interjected. "There's no need for that- "she was stopped, however, by a hand placing itself on her shoulder.

"I think we need to sit this one out." Mamoru told her. While he wasn't angry with her, it was clear that he wasn't exactly pleased with the situation, let alone anyone here.

"But he just- "Usagi protested again, yet her boyfriend's conviction didn't waver.

"He said he doesn't want to be here, and from what I can see, it's about time he was heard. Frankly, Usako, you all have done enough." The bun-headed girl struggled to fight against this, yet after a moment or two…she ultimately resigned. He was right. She was far from one to be giving anyone any sort of lecture, especially seeing as she was the one who delivered the phone call to Minako about the cat's supposed 'affair'.

Minako held her hand, trembling. True, it was little more than a nick, far from painful. Yet the fact that it had come from him, him of all people, er, animals…just as how the words she delivered to him before must've stung the same way. He surely must've felt the same, she thought. She remembered well, as much as it disgusted her now. He was backed up against her bedroom door, she towering over him, hurling accusations and questionings of his character at him nonstop…the tears began to flow from her eyes. Rei, Makoto, and Ami came to her side, and while the three were quite shocked at what the cat had just done, any potential anger directed towards him didn't last long. For really, they were far from the victim in this. In fact, in many ways, each of them was a perpetrator.

A wave of guilt washed over him when he realized what he had just done, the ivory cat looking at his claws, then to Minako's hand. An urge to apologize came to him, to beg forgiveness for doing such a thing in the heat of the moment…yet…he found an even stronger urge coming to him. He needed to go away. He needed to get out of here and think for a bit. He…he… "…I'm sorry." He muttered, not proud of what he had just done, yet far from ready to let the girl's tears sway his current stance on all of them.

He scampered off.

"Artemis, wait!" Minako called out, about to take off after him, yet a smaller, darker shape darted out before her, she in turn taking to pursuing the other cat.

"Artemis, stop!" Luna called out, the other feline either not hearing or not heeding her words, steadily gaining more and more distance ahead of her. "Please, stop! Please!" she pleaded, tears stinging her eyes and making it difficult to see what was ahead of her. She was losing him!

Maybe she already had lost him…

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I was wrong! I was wrong and stupid! Please, come back! Artemis!"

He turned a corner, she in turn following. Though when she made it around, he was nowhere in sight. Only an empty, trash-filled alleyway met her.

"What have I done?" the black cat stammered, voice quivering. She let her head fall forward, her tears coming to soak the hardened pavement below. "What have I done?"

**Later**

"You haven't seen him anywhere?! Anywhere at all?!"

Rei sighed. "I'm just as anxious to find him as you are, Minako. But you're going to do him no good if you yourself go out there like a madman with no idea where to look!"

"I don't care!" the bow-wearing girl protested. "It's pouring out there! He's probably soaking wet! He…" she paused. "…you…don't really think he doesn't think he can't come home, can you?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Ami assured. "You said things in the heat of the moment. True, it doesn't make it right," Minako's features soured even more. "No more than ours, yet Artemis knows you better than that, surely!"

"…I should've known him better." She sat herself upon the bed, her head coming to rest in her hands. The scratch had begun to heal, though it was still there. Seemingly as if to further guilt and mock her for her treatment of her oldest, most devoted friend in this very room.

Since his departure beforehand, the Senshi had spent the entire afternoon searching high and low for the ivory cat, desperate to make things right, or at least bring him inside until the weather became decent again, preferably Minako's house. She didn't even care if he didn't even acknowledge her existence, frankly, she sort of hoped for that. At least she'd be able to have a present reason for her crippling guilt.

"Beating yourself up over it won't do him any good either." Makoto told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This is all of our faults, so all of us are going to fix it."

She was thankful for the four girls being by her side…though, shamefully, only one would be able to remedy what she was feeling at the moment. And he could've been anywhere on a night like this…

**Living Room**

"Mamoru?" The dark-haired man turned to Usagi, arms folded over his chest and with a displeased look on his face. She needn't ask why that was. She joined him in looking out the window, the rain continuing to pour ever downward. "Do you think he's found somewhere dry? At least sort of dry?"

He didn't answer at first.

"Mamo?"

"…he'll be fine." The guardian of the Earth finally answered. "Though…I might want to discuss some things regarding his living situation."

The bun haired girl was confused. "Living situation?"

"It's not something I want, but, honestly, if I was in his position, I wouldn't be too eager to come back either." The blonde's eyes widened upon hearing that. "With how he was treated and from what I've now heard about what all you girls and Luna said to him? I'd be crashing somewhere else for a while if I were him."

"But, but it's ok now!" Usagi protested. "Diana's been found out to be his and Luna's kitten! He didn't cheat! He- "

"He didn't cheat?" Mamoru interrupted. "That makes it sound like it's his fault."

"N-No, it's not. But we all thought that…and Diana called him her 'daddy'- "

"Then did any of you try to talk to him?"

"What?"

"You heard me." Mamoru repeated. "Did any of you try and ask him his side? And no, hurling accusations his way doesn't count." He wasn't directing it towards her, yet Usagi couldn't help but flinch at that. She hadn't heard it outright, yet Mamoru made his stance on what Minako had said to the cat very, VERY clear. If anything, it was why she was so desperate to go out and find him, even in this weather. "Do you understand what that tells him?" the Earth Prince continued. "What that tells him about all the time he's spent with you? With Minako? How utterly 'useless' it feels if it can be undone so easily?" he continued. Usagi was getting upset, he could see that. And it wasn't as if he was enjoying this, yet she had to understand. She and the other girls had to understand why, or this would never get truly resolved. Even more, it could've possibly happened again. "You gave Luna the benefit of the doubt, and you didn't even see Diana. Why was that? She also seemed to leave out the little detail of the marking on her forehead, so her telling was already inaccurate right there."

Usagi had no answer. Her lip trembled as she continued to see the droplets come down from the heavens. He was right, he was absolutely right. "I…I didn't think about any of that." She confessed. "I…I just went and called Minako. I…didn't even think about it." She covered her mouth. "Oh God, Artemis. I…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…I didn't think that it would turn out like this…"

The rain kept falling.

**….**

"Why were you so mean to daddy?"

From her sitting place on the kitchen windowsill, Luna found she couldn't banish the grey kitten, her daughter's words from her mind.

She tried to explain herself, yes, yet that in itself was difficult, as she found herself torn between that and trying to find some means to ease this weight that had been thrust on her by her own hubris. It did neither. If anything, it seemed to only make the grey kitten more and more disheartened.

"You made daddy sad."

Not to mention angry.

"Why were you so mean? Why were all of you so mean? That's bad!"

She had attempted to level how some things were different for adults; relationships were far more volatile and fragile. How things such as infidelity were an unfortunate, but very real part that had to be faced.

"You all are so mean! You're terrible!"

A lot of good that did. It only seemed to make Diana even more angry with them all.

"How could you do that, mommy?"

Especially with her.

And really, there was no defense for it.

She had assumed the worse, not even considering the crescent shaped marking on the kitten's head, badmouthed Artemis to kingdom come to everyone around her, speaking of how she wouldn't care if he was out of her life.

Thus…she was granted her wish.

And she utterly loathed herself for it.

'The chapel…it looked like such a lovely place to get married…'

Lowering her head down, Luna silently wept, a string of curses against her jumping to conclusions and the eagerness to throw all that she had at the ivory feline. She wasn't thinking straight, she was hurt, yet it was all for nothing, over nothing. And…and she couldn't even apologize for it. She had to go and bring up Artemis' supposed 'crush' on the nun once again.

Spiteful, horrible thing, she was. Spiteful…and now, pitiful.

Diana had made it clear that she didn't want to be around the people (and cat) that had 'made her daddy so sad,' thus, she was taken to Usagi's place, apparently with Chibiusa. Her own child wanted noting to do with her…

"Hey." Usagi's voice was heard, Luna feeling a hand coming to rest on her back. "You ok?"

"…whether I am or not doesn't matter." She answered. "I'm not the one that drove someone they love out in the rain and away from everyone because they were too much of an idiot to not think for five minutes as to why they would go and do something so uncharacteristically like them."

"Luna-"

"No, Usagi. Don't." the cat interjected. "Don't try to defend my actions. Don't you defend ANY of them." She lifted herself up, though her posture was still quite slumped. "Mamoru's right, you know. Not saying it against you, but…I should've wondered why. Why would he go do something like that? Someone that I've known for years, someone that's served you and the entire Moon Kingdom alongside me, someone that…" she paused, her breath hitching. "Someone that is one of the kindest, most understanding and compassionate individuals I know…why would I even think such a thing of him? I couldn't even give him the most basic of trust…"

His words to Minako echoed in her mind. 'The feeling's mutual.'

RING RING!

The blonde was diverted from her dejected, utterly defeated companion, she going over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Usagi?!"

Luna's ears perked up.

"Chibiusa?" Usagi asked

"Where is she?! Is she over there with you!? I can't find her!"

"Whoa, hey, calm down! Where's the fire!"

"Oh no…" the young girl on the other end said, clearly frightened. "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

"What? What is it?"

"The window's open!"

"What?"

"Diana! The window's open! I think…" it dawned on both of them what had probably just occurred. "I think she's gone!"

**Note: I'll admit, it's sort of immature, but writing, even for small stuff like this is such catharsis. Anyhow, poor Diana's gone missing, and Artemis is still MIA. What does this mean for everyone else?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Hey guys. No, I wasn't going to end the story like that. Rest assured, there WILL be reconciliation.**

**It's kind of come to my attention that, bizarrely enough, the first half of Super S also had an episode where Minako sees both Hawkeye and Tigerseye at the same time. As in, seeing two guys at the same time. After the episode this fic is based on.**

**Did the writers of the first few episodes just NOT realize that behavior like that is both despicable and really out of character? Heck, horrible as it was, I can get Minako's assumptions of Artemis' unfaithfulness, yet I doubt, being the Scout of Love, that she'd just up and go screw around with two men!**

**Not to mention, that just makes her look horrible in general. I in no way hate Minako, I just hate how she was written in the beginning of some episodes in Super S (and Luna in that one…ugh).**

**I'll admit though, this may be updated sporadically, but that said, hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Found but still Lost**

**Sailor Moon © of NT**

Had he gone too far?

A little late to be asking such a thing now, seeing as there was no way he was going out of the cover of this empty crate, lest he want to be as wet as everything else around him. Heck, this box in itself was far from entirely dry, let alone a half-way decent place to lay. His own fur did little to cushion the hardened material.

Still, with that, Artemis couldn't help but ponder which was indeed better: out here, or in the warmth that surely perpetuated Minako's home. Usually, there would be not contest, though this time didn't fit into the 'usually' section. None of what occurred today had. Not Diana's arrival, not his subsequent hostage situation involving one of the Amazon Trio's Remless' (as her 'joey' of all things) …not how fragile and flimsy his and Minako's bond truly was…nothing. Luna…he could understand, and yet, that far from made things better. If anything, it only further compounded that, really, this was far from just a spur of the moment outburst akin to hers at the 'evidence' of his 'infidelity'. This, while not as extreme, let alone as hurtful, was not exactly 'new' for him.

Still, the white cat couldn't help but wonder if he himself had perhaps overreacted?

This wasn't to imply that he was alright with what had occurred, far from it. He was nothing short of heartbroken over it, especially with the confrontation at his 'owner's' home. And yes, initially, he had every intention to bring it up and discuss it with her and Luna later. He'd make his feelings known and clear, yet…not like he had done. Not akin to what the black cat and Princess of Venus had done prior to the reveal of his innocence. He admitted it: he lost it. He shouldn't have, but he did. Whether it be Luna's comment about his still supposed 'infatuation' with that nun, or how nonchalant everyone else was about the whole things, as if none of them were aware, or even cared about what he had just gone through because of the falsehood they believed in.

Simply put, he snapped.

He snapped and couldn't find a place to stop. Or maybe, he didn't want to, as unsavory as the thought was to him.

He still felt everything that he had before, and yes, if he had to be honest, he meant each and every word he said. His delivery was what created the current conflict assaulting his mind. In the heat of the moment, he had much in common with Luna and Minako. He wanted them, all of them, to know well just how he felt of their actions. He wanted them to feel and understand how loathsome and hurtful they were to him. And, to a degree, he wanted to hurt them. He wanted them to experience pain. It shocked him now, especially considering he wished to have those two of all people and cats be dealt such a thing. The blonde girl's tears and growing, visible shame of her previous words to him…to his own shame, he felt something of accomplishment upon seeing them. Finally, he had gotten through to her and the rest of them, in a sense. All he wanted, truly, was just for an understanding, and better yet, an acknowledgement of how defeated and beat down they made him feel.

What he didn't mean to do was scratch her. What he didn't mean to do was unintentionally put his own daughter on spot (even now, it sounded so bizarre saying that). What he didn't mean to do was run away from the black cat that chased after him, pleading with him to stop, clearly remorseful and wishing to make amends.

He had accomplished what he set out to do, they were both clearly hurt by what he had said and done. And yet…he felt no better than he had been before. Even more, while he didn't regret letting everything out as he had…the results, dwelling on them now, served to perhaps make him feel worse. Because now…now, he couldn't bring himself to go back. He far from liked staying in this box, waiting for the seemingly endless rainfall to cease, yet he couldn't go home. Not yet.

'I…I didn't mean to.' Artemis mused. 'I didn't mean to do it…to that extreme.' He examined his claws, retracting them before allowing them to slip back in. 'She…she didn't deserve that.'

PLIP

Hm?

PLIP PLIP

Tiny, small footsteps were heard.

PLIP PLIP PLIP

And from the sound of it, they were approaching him fast. "Who's there?" Artemis questioned, raising up. While this sudden, new presence caught him off guard, his instincts, let alone his heightened senses, weren't sending him signals of alarm. No threat was detected, yet the figure seemed to have been seeking him out.

"Daddy?"

Artemis' blue eyes widened, peering his head out of the crate, the visage of a soaked, grey kitten just outside the crate.

**Elsewhere**

"Diana?! DIANA!" a small girl with full, pink pigtails kept under a yellow rainhat called out, her ruby eyes scanning the relatively empty streets before her.

No answer came.

Chibiusa released and exasperated and exhausted sigh. She would've reclined on the nearby bench; had it not been as soaked as everything else around her. Her legs were practically on fire, having nearly up and searched the entirety of Juban for the little grey kitten. Ok, maybe not the 'entirety', but still, her lower limbs begged to differ! She was thankfully protected by a set of yellow rain gear that composed of a hat, slicker, and boots, yet the hat failed to be able to contain all of her full, rather outrageous hair, thus, the ends of her pigtails were drooping down, heavy with rainwater.

This day was nothing short of a major disappointment. No, worse than that. It was a total disaster.

A simple, yet, in retrospect, a completely avoidable misunderstanding resulted in everyone being completely miserable. The girls were general saddened and disappointed in themselves, Mamoru seemed such as well, albeit, there was a degree of disappointment he made evident in the handling of the situation. Maybe he could empathize more, seeing as he was a guy…but really, Chibiusa found that such a thing shouldn't have mattered. Luna and Minako however…those two were distraught. Luna hadn't said a word to anyone, at least from what she was aware, since Diana made it clear just how upset she was that everyone was so 'mean' to her father, especially her mother of all people (cats). She could've sworn the ebony feline's soul was crushed when the kitten outright refused to go with her, insisting that she go with Chibiusa to Usagi's place instead of Minako's. Said blonde girl was just about to go out and finish wherever Luna finished, yet Rei stopped her.

'He's very, very volatile right now. It's radiating off him like a neon sign.' She told her, her dark eyes glancing down at her scratched hand. 'You going and chasing after him is just going to make things worse.'

Granted, had the priestess known the weather would be like this, she probably would've been assisting Minako in searching for the white cat. 'And if he's drenching wet…then Diana…' the rose haired girl sprinted forward, her lungs taking in a long, heavy breath as she once again hollered out the little kitten's name, as well as her father's.

* * *

"Wh-What in the world are you doing here?" Artemis questioned, the shock of her sudden appearance not even making him realize what condition she was in at first. Though that didn't last long. "And what in the world do you think you're doing out in weather like this? You're bound to get sick!" he lectured her. Her already drooped features grew even more sullen, the ivory feline immediately feeling guilty. "Get in here." He commanded, albeit gentler. It wasn't much warmer than out there, yet he was clearly the drier of the two.

The kitten obeyed, climbing into the wooden crate and huddling up next to the larger cat out of an instinctual need for warmth. Artemis shivered at the chilled dampness of her fur, yet he didn't push her away. God, even now, he found parental tendencies seeping into his consciousness. Diana, however, was shivering even more, a small sneeze escaping her, the white cat taking pause as a surge of worry came over him.

"You've already got a cold."

"N-No." Diana protested, sneezing yet again. "I don't think so." Another sneeze. "I haven't been out that long." She confessed. "It…" this time she coughed. "It actually didn't take that long to find you."

"Oh…" Artemis wouldn't deny he was somewhat disappointed in that. While yes, it was perhaps a good thing, considering that the kitten was able to find him, and in turn, some means of shelter, yet if she was out here, then surely she would be…

"No one else knows I'm gone." The grey kitten told her father. "And even if they find out, they won't know where I am."

The white cat was quiet for a moment. "…you should go back- "

"No."

Artemis was somewhat taken aback by her answer. As if she had predicted he was going to say that.

"They were really mean to you, and made you run away."

"Diana, this is no place for you- "

"And…that's also why I wanted to find you." The kitten then grew quiet.

"…Diana? Sweetie?" Artemis then grew quiet. Had he just said that? And so naturally too?

"I…" Diana began again, averting her ruby red eyes. "I think I'm going back."

"Back?"

"Back to Crystal Tokyo."

* * *

Her boots pounded through the puddles, large splashes following wherever she went.

"DIANA! ARTEMIS!"

No answer.

Chibiusa sighed, leaning over and resting her hands on her knees. Her slicker, boots, and hat kept her upper portion and everything below her calves relatively dry, yet anything else was open to the elements. Why didn't she just slip on some pants before going out?

Better yet, why didn't she think to tell anyone she was going out?

Granted, she told Usagi's mother that she had to go out for something and that she wouldn't be long, though she took off before the indigo haired woman could get another word in. But still, given how long she had been gone (which was only for a few minutes, but much longer than she had hoped for), Usagi and the others were bound to hear of it. Which, of course, would probably bring them. Yet while some extra help would be nice, Chibiusa could suspect that the girls were the last people that Artemis, let alone Diana would want to see. Especially the likes of Minako and Luna.

'Still…' the pink haired girl thought. 'Maybe I should've at least told Mamo- "she paused, her red eyes spotting a crate in an alley nearby. Along with hearing soft, yet familiar voices conversing with each other in said alley.

Wait…was that?

"…no, there's no need to- "

"Daddy, I've caused all this. None of this would've happened had I not come."

* * *

RING RING!

Just when she had put on her coat and gotten an umbrella.

"Who's that?" Usagi questioned, then realizing who could potentially be calling. "Hello?" she asked upon picking up the phone. "Oh, Chibiusa, that had BETTER be you! Mom called in a fit wondering where you were- "

"Oh relax, dango-head. If anything, you should be thanking me." The child on the other end retorted. "I found them."

"You brat! How many times have I…" the blonde, bun-headed girl paused. "You found them?" she was about to shout to the others this wonderful news, yet a holler from the phone stopped her.

"Wait a minute!" Chibiusa exclaimed. "Let me speak to Mamo-chan!"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!"

The older teen groaned, clutching the phone angrily. That child could be such a little brat…"Mamo-chan?" she asked, Mamoru in turn coming to her. She held out the phone for him to take. "It's for you."

The dark-haired man took it. "Hello?" Usagi stood close by, attempting to catch as much as she could from whatever that pink haired sneak was telling him. It mattered not whether her parentage was due to the both of them, that still didn't change the fact she could be unbearable at times. She couldn't exactly hear what was being said on the other end, yet her beloved's features steadily growing more and more concerned and somewhat sullen indicated that despite Artemis and Diana being found, not all was well still. Finally, he put the phone back on the hook.

"Well?"

Mamoru turned to Usagi. "She's at my apartment, she used the key under the mat."

"What's she doing there?"

"Artemis." The somewhat older man told his beloved. "He…"

"He what?"

"He said he's not sure whether or not he's ready to talk with anyone yet. He also asked if he could, at least for just a few hours, stay there."

Usagi was puzzled. "Your place? Why?"

"Um, no offense, but wouldn't it be obvious?"

The blonde blushed slightly. Once again, she missed the point. "Still…I mean, I know that he's hurt and all…but is it bad of me to want him here instead? At least then maybe…" she trailed off, not really able to find the words that'd best describe what she wanted to happen. Thankfully, Mamoru seemed to understand.

"No, it's not." He reassured. "But I think this is something that only Minako and Luna have anything they can truly offer to this."

"Like…they're the only ones that can fix it?"

He paused, a low sigh escaping him. "Yes." He confirmed. "And it also relies on when, or whether Artemis is willing to listen."

**Note: Again, things WON'T end on a bad note. But let's just say I'm a sucker for karma. That said, thank you for the attention!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Note: Minor, but important note, one of my most recent reviews said this:**

**Asumpta: From what I remember of that episode, Mamoru didn't believe Artemis either, though he didn't give him shit about it like Luna and Mina did. So, he doesn't really have any room to scold anyone, IMO.**

**Very good point, and really, it is something I should address. Also, sort of a weird thing, but totally had a dream involving this where I think, due to that, it's going to go a completely different direction than originally planned. Granted, it sort of breaks the anime's rule of 'one monster per day', yet I think that it'll make the story have more poignancy. Sorry if that sounds arrogant. **

**Also, I do NOT hate Minako or Luna, let alone any of the scouts. Moonie for life. I just hate this episode. Mainly also for the reason that, the moment Diana shows up, you know well what the outcome is going to be, and really, Luna's not so much a bitch (even if she is in the end thanks to that damn comment about the nun), she's just an idiot. A really uncharacteristic idiot. Usagi's mentor figure and usually voice of reason for her and the other scouts just so happens to completely ignore the moon shaped marking on the kitten's head? The entire thing is a circle jerk the entire way through, and everyone just acts like assholes for no reason aside from a very, VERY stupid plot point that could be solved in five seconds. I guess that's the main crux of why I hate it so much. It's just incredibly stupid. **

**One last thing, I probably might want to write something more positive about Minako and her little feline companion, as it's clear the two do love each other. Maybe just some little fluff or something (not romantic).**

**And that, aside from the episode's poor quality and horrible trope of male abuse for the sake of 'comedy' (assumedly), let's just say I've had my fill of SJW politics and whatnot, particularly in how one certain voice actor is having people trying to get his life destroyed based on 'rumors' and 'allegations', despite there being proof of the contrary. And they're outright threatening and harassing his supporters with violence and death threats, not to mention, as of recently, faking evidence and going after the jobs of his supporters who used evidence and logic to dismantle their arguments.**

**And I'm saying this as a woman.**

**#IStandWithVick**

**Chapter 3: Unexpected Kindness**

His ears lowered upon hearing the door open, suspecting well whom had just entered the apartment. Even now, he couldn't believe that he was here.

"Hey there." Mamoru greeted, the sight of a wet Chibiusa and an even more soaked pair of cats on his bed making him inwardly groan, but he repressed it.

"Hi, Mamo-chan." the pink haired girl greeted without her usual chipper tone whenever greeting her future parent.

The dark-haired man immediately took notice, as well as his child and Artemis sharing concerned looks with each other. "What's wrong?" he felt a bit foolish in asking it, yet from what he could see, there was something else going on aside from the obvious.

"Diana." Chibiusa began. "She…" she paused, biting her lip. Yet before she could say it, the kitten spoke up.

"I'm going back to Crystal Tokyo."

**Minako's Place**

"I can't take it anymore."

Ami and Rei turned their heads to the blonde girl's bed, she lifting herself up and straightening out her red shirt, giving her long locks a small flip before she made her way out of the room.

"Minako? Minako!" the raven-haired priestess called out after her, following her out. "Where are you going?"

"Where I should've been." She answered. "Out."

"Minako-" Ami began, yet she was cut off.

"No, Ami. My mind's made up." She said with utmost certainty and determination. "Besides, seeing that he's found, half of the work's been done for me."

The two girls were calling out for her, the sound of Makoto emerging from the bathroom also being heard. Quickly making her way down the stairs, thankful Usagi hadn't noticed her, she found that, as she was grabbing her jacket, a small, black cat blocked her way to the door.

"Luna, please." Minako said. "I'm not budging from this. And sorry, but I think I can move you out of the way."

"Oh, I'm moving." The cat stated, drawing closer to the representative of Venus. "I just don't plan on letting you go."

"I have to make this right- "

"Not alone."

**Mamoru's ****Apartment**

Both the future princess of said kingdom and the kitten's father flinched upon hearing that.

"What?" Mamoru was clearly shocked, hastily hanging up his coat and going over to the girl and two cats. "What are you talking about?"

"Exactly what I said." Diana said again. "I'm going back. And no, you're not convincing me otherwise. These two have already tried." Her red eyes shifted to Chibiusa and Artemis, of whom weren't happy at this.

"Diana-," Mamoru began, though the kitten shook her head.

"No. I'm going. I caused enough trouble as it is."

"What? No!" Chibiusa protested. "This is NOT your fault! If anything, it's mine! I told Usagi and Mamo-chan about it all!"

The aforementioned guardian of Earth averted his blue eyes for a moment, then giving the white cat a look of guilt. "And…really, I'm really in no position to be lecturing anyone about how wrong they were. I too, sort of believed that Artemis…" the cat in turn didn't appear shocked by this revelation, he just lowered his head, something else that compounded Mamoru's guilt. "But Chibiusa's right. This isn't your fault. None of it is."

"Yes it is!" the kitten argued. "If I hadn't come, then daddy wouldn't have gotten in such much trouble! And mommy and the others wouldn't have been so mean to him! So yes, it IS my fault! I'm…" her lip quivered, the larger, ivory feline near her lifting himself up upon hearing a sniffle come out of her. "I'm sorry." She told him, her voice raising in pitch and becoming strained. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to have any of this happen- "

The kitten didn't get a chance to finish, a leg immediately wrapping around her and drawing her close, her small, grey face buried in an abdomen of white fur. She knew what was probably coming, yet she had already gotten started, and couldn't stop the tears from falling. "It…it's ok." Artemis cooed, his paw lightly stroking the sobbing kitten's back, she in turn continuing to bury her face in her father's fur.

Chibiusa and Mamoru kept their distance, yet couldn't deny that it was somewhat strange, yet also fascinating how quickly the cat seemed to slip into his presumed role in regard to his newly discovered daughter. In a sense, Mamoru could relate. True, when the pink haired girl had first appeared, it was more than a bit disconcerting and strange. And that was before she had up and put a pistol in Usagi's face, demanding the Silver Crystal be handed to her. Yet still, overtime, even before the revelation of her identity (and subsequently their relations), Mamoru found himself drawn to the girl in a protective manner. True, she made it clear she adored him, yet, while he didn't share the animosity Usagi bore towards the child at first, she perhaps said it best.

'Part of me wants to blast that rotten kid into outer space, but part of me wants to protect her…'

"It's ok." Artemis continued, repeating the phrase again and again, all the while rubbing his own child's furred back. Thankfully, it seemed that she was finally able to calm down somewhat, though it was clear that her mood had yet to change. Still, she couldn't deny that small fit served as quite a good release. "Now, look here." Her father told her, voice firm, yet, just as his hold on her was, gentle. He directed her to look at him, blue, sapphire eyes boring into her ruby red. "It is NOT your fault. It was NEVER your fault." He assured her, she seemingly taking his words in, though doubt lingered in her eyes. "Your coming here had nothing to do with anything that happened."

"But," she began to protest. "But mommy-"

"But nothing." Artemis cut Diana off. "Your mother…" he paused, averting his gaze for a second. "Your mother and I…we were…having a bit of a misunderstanding before we met you. It had nothing to do with you."

"So…" she looked down. "…mommy was already being mean to you?"

"Well, no. I don't think I would say that."

"Then what?"

Artemis tried to answer, yet found he couldn't conjure anything suitable.

"I don't get it." Diana said. "You…you two aren't like this back in Crystal Tokyo. Sure, you two…you told me every parent argues, but…she…and you…you never did this. She was never this mean to you. Neither you to her. I…" she found tears coming to her again. "I just don't get it."

The white cat just allowed her to stay close, resuming his rubbing on her back. 'I have to admit,' he thought to himself. 'I don't think I'll be ever able to get it.' Even now, while he was still more than saddened and furious with the Princess of Venus and the black cat…he found he couldn't bring himself to say he hated them. No he…he could never hate them.

And in a way, that just made this all the more confusing. And harder.

**A Distance Away**

"It's not much further."

"I know."

"Then shouldn't we hurry?"

"We will."

"Minako. We've been sitting here for ten minutes."

The bow headed girl slumped her shoulders, releasing a heavy sigh. Indeed, despite her drive to get out and search for her lost friend (assuming he would even call her such a thing anymore), she now found herself stationed under the hood of a small bus stop, the rain continuing to pour down from above, endless, small 'thumps' sounding out in a chaotic, disjointed harmony. A perfect allusion to Minako's racing mind to be honest.

"I…" she began, sighing again. "I'm just…I don't know what to do."

Luna was about to respond with a 'what do you mean?', yet she resigned from doing so. For the moment the human girl said such, the ebony cat found that her words began to seep into her own conscious thoughts.

"I mean…what if he, you know, doesn't accept what I have to say? What if he still says what he did before? What if he- "

"Excuse me…" Both the blonde girl and cat turned their heads, the sight of a long, black tunic reaching down to a pair of equally black shoes struck the two as looking rather familiar. "Forgive the eavesdropping." Their eyes traveled up, seeing the same colored veil atop of the young woman's head, a pair of warm, yet concerned eyes gazing back at them. "Yet I was passing by, and I couldn't help but overhear."

Minako and Luna immediately stiffened, both recognizing the holy woman immediately. 'It's her.' They collectively thought. Ironic, and in some ways, a cruel joke that of all people, she would be here. Luna found she couldn't even look at her. 'Your little crush…' oh, there was so much she wanted to take back. Still, the cat thought, what was she doing holding a bouquet for? Nestled in the crook of her shoulder, the nun had a collection of wildflowers of various colors (seemingly fake ones, the leaves plastic) in a tightly packed collection. Surely not for some secret lover, right? Another pang of guilt came over the cat.

"Oh, sorry about that." Minako apologized (even if, really, this woman just admitted that SHE was the one listening in on their conversation). "I…well…we." She paused, the hairs on Luna's back stiffening, she in turn looking up and shaking her head at the girl. "Er, I, yeah. I'm sort of…debating something."

"Such as?" the nun questioned, the blonde and feline with her quite take aback by her forwardness, yet really, right now, neither of them much cared anymore.

"I…" Minako began. "I did something stupid. Like, really, REALLY stupid." Her fingers curled, tightly clutching the hem of her red skirt. "I…" her teeth dug into her bottom lip. "I hurt someone that I really care about. And now…I…I don't know if I can…"

She didn't even get to finish, feeling a hand gently, yet firmly take ahold of her own.

"Please." The nun told her, helping her up from the bench. "I just realized that I forgot something in the church. And really, no one should be out in weather like this. Please," she began gently pulling the girl forward. "Come on inside. It's far warmer, and I probably don't need to be out here either. Neither does that poor thing." She gestured to the black cat.

"Oh, no. Really. It's fine." The blonde protested. Really, why was this woman being so insistent? "I probably need to get going anyway. And- "

"Please." The nun interrupted. "I…I heard everything you said. And…" she paused. "Forgive me for being so bold, but I know how you feel."

Minako was left speechless. Frankly, she didn't know how to respond, let alone what to feel about what she had just heard, and neither did Luna for that matter. True, their first instinct was perhaps to question, or maybe even retort again such a claim, yet there was a distinct sense of pain in the nun's eyes. Eyes that held understanding and empathy that neither of them had taken notice of before. Eyes that were beginning to show the signs of developing tears.

How, let alone why she claimed to know how they felt was unknown, yet it couldn't be disputed that, however it may be, the holy woman spoke the truth.

And all things considered and when she truly thought about it…"Ok." Why not? There wasn't much left either of them could lose now.

She tried to conceal it, yet the nun gave a small sigh of relief upon hearing this. Selfish as it was, in a sense, perhaps it was the will of God that brought her to meet this young girl. Maybe today, she would be able to provide an ear, and be provided one as well. Of all days, now, she wanted nothing more.

**Note: So yeah, I'm developing the nun a bit for this. Because really, unintentional as it is, she is sort of the catalyst for all that's happened aside from Diana (even if it isn't any of their faults), and I don't want this to be a blame-fest. **

**I think that this episode could've been a great highlight for one of Luna's flaws, yet also how in that she needed to learn and see that they had consequences to them. Granted, she didn't do anything heinous like that again from what I know, yet I could be wrong. Yet the whole canon 'making up' in that was utter shit. Don't get me wrong, I love flaws in characters, a character isn't a character to me if there are no flaws. Yet a character isn't much of a character without development either. I'm not saying to get rid of ALL their flaws, and some will stick till they day they die, but they learn that certain behaviors and attitudes have consequences, and thus, they do mature in areas and there's proper resolution and acknowledgement, as well as evidence of their growth.**

**Usagi for example is incredibly immature and clingy wit Mamoru, one example being in an episode not long after this one where he helps and old woman by offering an umbrella (which she refuses). Usagi goes on a tangent of how 'you're supposed to only be polite to me!', showing said immaturity and clinginess. The difference is that she's presented as being such and isn't justified or excused. Sure, it's played for laughs, but there's a fine line between that and what Artemis got. **

**Please forgive these reasoning tangents, yet I guess I'm trying to explain why it just gets under my skin so much.**

**Also, don't worry. There WILL be a happy ending to this. Albeit not right away, yet things will be ok.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Note: Next chapter here, and I think this is halfway done. This is were things begin to take a more positive turn, and things begin to find their place in getting resolved. While this thing was written due to how much I hated what this was based on, I don't want to imply I wrote it to completely dismantle connections Artemis had to Minako and Luna. Far from it.**

**That said, here's chapter 4!**

**Chapter 4: Insight**

**SM © of NT**

Indeed, it WAS warmer in here. The tea that the holy woman had prepared was certainly unexpected as well. Nevertheless, neither Minako nor Luna (the nun actually providing the cat with a small dish filled with some warm milk) were going to refuse this unexpected, yet appreciated kindness.

"I take it that it's to your liking?" the nun asked, the blonde girl in the middle of a sip.

"Oh, yeah. Very. Thank you." She thanked once she was finished, Luna giving a satisfied meow as well.

"So now…" the two of them winced, knowing well what was coming. "For what reason were you out on such a dreadful day as this?"

Minako's hands stiffened, the dark, scented mixture in the glass lightly slushing around in the confined space. "I…" she bit her lip. A part of her didn't want to go on further than this. If anything, she wished that this conversation wasn't taking place at all. "I was looking for someone."

"That someone being?"

The blonde stiffened, biting down hard on her lip. "A friend." She strained. "Or, as of now, a former friend."

The nun raised a brow, yet nonetheless, remained attentive to the young woman's words. If anything, she was more and more convinced that it was divine intervention that brought this girl to her. The cat was perhaps just a small bit of humor thrown in to somewhat lighten the mood. Even if, to her intrigue, she appeared rather despondent as well. "Now," she began. "What makes you say that?"

"Because…" Minako immediately turned her head away, already feeling the tears developing. As if she hadn't shed enough already. "Because he told me so."

It was just a hunch, yet the slightly older woman sensed that this wasn't entirely the case. "Did he say that, really?"

"He might as well have." The girl told her. "And really, the worst part of it is that he's completely in the right to cut ties with me."

"Well, that's quite the extreme conclusion to make, isn't it- "

"It's true though!" Minako loudly retorted, voice echoing throughout the small kitchen area. "I just went and didn't even consider the years that we had spent together, let alone how he's always been there for me! He was there when I had first been thrown into everything that makes up my life now, and when my first love had to be pushed away because of it! He was there when I had nearly gotten myself killed numerous times doing what I was meant to do and had nearly gotten killed himself! He's been with me through thick and thing and everything in between! And how do I reward him!?"

The teen girl paused for a moment, barely able to hold onto her cup. The black cat stationed next to her on the floor was thankful for the nun being unable to see her, lest she possibly pick up how this too was just as, if not more distressing for her as well.

"I tell him that he's a dirty rotten cheat." Minako stammered, voice cracking. "That I'll never trust him again. And when he tried to explain, I called him a liar right to his face." Her moist, blue orbs noticed the scratch still present on her hand. "…why? I just…why? How could I have…" she trailed off, having no more words before she once again lost herself to tears.

The darkly clad nun said nothing, but got up from her chair and made her way over to the young woman, placing a hand on her shoulder. While she hadn't entirely pieced together what had occurred between the young lady and this 'friend', yet she couldn't deny that it struck a familiar chord with her. And if she could help it, perhaps she could prevent the same outcome that happened prior from repeating itself.

"I'm horrible. I'm absolutely horrible."

"No, no, you're not, dear." The holy woman assured.

"Yes I am. And…and I'm a coward too."

At last, the nun thought. "Why do you believe that about yourself?"

"Because…" Minako sniffled. "Because he wouldn't come home. He didn't want to come home because of what I did. I mean, my friends all thought that he had…"

"Well, first off, forgive me, but I'm not entirely sure of what happened." The other woman informed the teen girl. "I'm getting all these details, but not how this problem came to be." She sat down beside the upset girl. "If you don't mind, perhaps you'd best start from the beginning?"

The blonde released a heavy sigh, recollecting herself. "Yeah. Sorry."

"It's all right. Now," she urged. "Please, how did this start out?"

Minako grew cold, Luna too looking down at the floor in utter shame. It would be painful for both to recount it all…but there was no getting out of it now. They had to continue. If not for Artemis' sake, then their own. "It started earlier today." The representative of Venus began. "Lu…" she paused, realizing that some details would have to be altered. Specifically, names of a pair of talking felines. "Lulu, a friend, saw her boyfriend, they were here earlier- "

"Oh really?" the nun interjected. "I don't remember seeing anyone."

"Uh…well, they were sort of far away." The girl replied, blue eyes shifting a bit. "Anyway, Lulu thought he, uh…Art…Artie's his name. Yeah. Artie was looking at you all googly-eyed and stuff."

"M-Me?" upon hearing that, the older woman found herself unable to contain her giggles. "Oh goodness!"

"Yeah. And…I guess you can imagine what happened then."

"Yes, I can." The nun confirmed. "I was young once, too. We women can rather emotional and accusatory creatures."

A small meow came from under the table, drawing the holy woman's attention. Minako kept going, if not just to draw attention back to herself. "Anyway, Lulu later tried to find Artie to apologize for overreacting, and that's when this kitten- "she paused, mentally kicking herself.

"Kitten?" the other woman questioned.

"Y-Yeah. They saw a stray kitten. Really cute. But it ran away before they could get it."

"Pity." She agreed. "Hope it's found shelter. Nothing should be out in weather like this."

Another knife. Luna tried to keep herself quiet.

"A-Anyway, this little girl came up to Artie, and…she called him her 'daddy'."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, daddy." Minako confirmed. "And Lulu had just so happened to hear it…and…"

"I take it things got a little explosive?"

"Yeah. Like, REALLY explosive." The blonde told her. "And one person told another, then another, then another…I guess you get the idea." The nun nodded. "And when it reached me…"

"That's when you said all those things to him."

The girl's body stiffened, eyes watering yet again. "Y-Yep." She lowered her head. "And not just that…I…Lulu…when we found out that the girl had mistaken him for someone else…none of us even apologized. We just brushed it off as a quirky misunderstanding. None of us, I didn't consider how he felt to have all those things thrown at him. Lulu…she even still accused him of having a crush on you after all that." Another meow came out from under her. A pang of guilt came to the human, yet if she was having to lay it out on the table, she was going to have to lay it ALL out. "And he told her the reason he was looking at you…well, he wasn't. He was looking at the church. He said he thought it looked like a nice place for her and him to get married." She turned her gaze away. "Something that…will probably never happen now. And…because of me and everyone else, I've lost one of my dearest, most loyal friends. Now he'll NEVER want anything to do with me again."

Her single member audience was silent for a good while, seemingly absorbing all that she had heard. The silence rang out throughout the small room for some time, both Minako and Luna waiting with bated breath for her to say something, anything. Even if it was a full out tongue lashing against them for all that had happened, at least it would be something. God knew that what the white cat had told them all earlier couldn't have stung any worse.

Ironic, in a sense, considering where they were now.

A long, heavy sigh emitted from the woman, at long last, though it was clear that she was preparing for the good deal that she was about to tell them.

"Well…" she began. "While it's not on the same level as envy, let alone the same thing, jealousy is one of the most dangerous things that can manifest. Especially in a relationship between a man and woman." Minako nodded in agreement, hypocritical as it was in a sense. "Whether romantic or not, ever relationship is based on trust. And it seems that your trust had been shattered, only for it to be turned to the other party. You believed him to be an untrustworthy partner to his girlfriend, now he believes you and your friends and her to be untrustworthy in a different manner."

Again, Minako confirmed every word she said, despite how much she hated it. "I…we were stupid. And inconsiderate."

"Yes, you were." The nun suddenly spoke, tone beginning to grow harsher. "I've heard many tales and many woes that have come in here, and I've found that, even if it isn't seen as often, let alone encouraged, men have just as sensitive and vulnerable a heart as women. Something of which you all didn't think of either."

"…no."

"Bear in mind, I don't tell you this to bring you down lower. But in order to move past this, the fully gravity of what's happened must be felt and known. Do you understand?"

Minako nodded, as well as Luna, even if the latter couldn't be seen doing so.

"I take it he made his stance known, am I right?"

"Oh yeah." The blonde sighed. "He gave us all a piece of his mind, though he gave the biggest to me and Lulu. He told me upfront that, given how I told him if I didn't know I could ever trust him again…he told me that the feeling was mutual."

"Indeed." The nun answered. "I suppose you're familiar with the old expression of how forgiveness is one thing, but trust is another?"

She nodded. "That's why I was out there."

"You wanted to try and patch things up."

"Yes. But…" oh no. Not again, Minako thought. Resting her elbows on the table, she set her cup down and held her head in one hand. "But I chickened out. I…he's staying at a friend's house right now, but if I tried going there, I don't know how it'd go! I don't know if he'll want to hear how sorry I really am, let alone at all! I'm scared that he's up and cut me out of his life entirely! I hurt him. I hurt him so bad…" she felt tears trailing down her already sore cheeks, her ears registering that the holy woman was speaking to her again.

"…I know."

She lifted her head up. "Wh-What?"

"I know…" the nun paused, sighing for a moment. "I know…how you feel."

'How' was what had nearly fallen from her lips, yet Minako kept it from making its way off her tongue. Yet the look in her brown eyes…the blonde just began to understand why she had called them in here.

"I was young. About your age, I think," the woman began. "Though I didn't live here. My folks resided in a small town outside of Juban. A town whose economy had taken a nosedive the minute the steel factory was relocated. Thus…well…let's just say the area was rather rife with unsavory activity."

Minako nodded in acknowledgement, she and Luna continuing to listen.

"My father had quite a tight bond with alcohol, and my mother was a devotee of prescription pills." Her eyes averted from the younger woman for a moment, the bouquet she had been carrying sitting on the far end of the table. "And I…well…I had an appetite for boys. Which…steadily evolved into older men. Much older men."

"Oh…" the blonde girl felt her stomach churn. "I…I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine." The nun assured. "I've matured since then. As well as come to know how blessed I was in that I didn't have anything happen." She cleared her throat. "Essentially, I used those boys and men to compensate for what I wasn't receiving at home. They always seemed far gentler and kinder to me than my own parents. I held no trust in the ones that were supposed to protect and nurture me. And, given the age and environment I was in…after one argument too many that had gotten more violent than usual, I decided to pack my bags and essentially hitchhike my way here."

"How far?" Minako questioned.

"A good hundred so miles, I think. And half of that was from walking." She could tell the girl was shocked upon hearing this. "How I did it, I don't know. I suppose desperation makes people capable of doing anything." She continued. "Upon coming here, I started out as a simple wanderer, though the money I took didn't last forever. Eventually, I ended up in a homeless shelter." A small smile came to her lips. "That's when I met Father Ito."

Minako was somewhat startled by the sensation of something leaping onto her, looking to see Luna could wait no longer. And from the intrigue firmly etched into her features, it was clear that the girl had no chance of ripping her away from her lap. Thankfully, the nun didn't seem to mind.

"He was talking at the shelter that day and happened to mention how the 'conditions you were born in does not dictate where you can go, let alone God's love for you.' That…" the woman paused, a rattled sigh escaping her. "I think that was what really got me. Even now, I can't really explain why I did it, but after that…I went to meet him directly. And he gave me his number. I think he saw that I was in desperate need of someone. He didn't even try to 'convert' me or simply add to the membership totals. He gave it to me just because he wanted to help someone."

"Sounds like a nice guy."

"Oh, he was." She answered, then noticing the girl's face grow solemn again. "Don't worry. He has no troubles anymore. None." She assured. "He was the one that drew me to this place, and the reason that, after some time of coming here after he helped me settle into Juban, I found what I wanted to become in life." She pushed some of the fabric of her veil back, the black fabric behind her shoulders. "If not for that man, I don't believe I ever would've been where I am, let alone possibly alive. Yet…" she paused for a moment. "There was one thing that he told me I should do…that I wished I had done. I wish it every day."

Despite herself, Minako couldn't have hoped to keep these words to herself. "What did, or didn't you do?"

The nun, to her and Luna's shock, was the one now growing distressed. "Even when I took my first step outside of home, I found my mind going back to my parents. I had come to terms with them and their behavior. How really, as I was, they too were products of their environment. Yet still…a part of me wondered what they were doing. How, whether or not they had either gotten better or worse." She couldn't look at the bouquet. "Father Ito told me that if my thoughts were that strong, then I should go see them. At least to assure them that their child was all right. And…I wanted to go. I really did. Yet- "

"Yet you were afraid."

She turned to Minako, nodding. "Very much so." She sighed, very much mimicking the younger girl's former displays of distress. "They were always such…volatile people, and while I wanted to see them…I feared how they'd react. I didn't tell them where I was going, let alone that I was even leaving, so I was worried about how they would take their daughter who had up and vanished coming back to them dressed like this." She gestured to her attire. "Would they be relieved and glad to see me, of what I decided to do with my life? Or would it be what I ran to get away from?"

Luna gazed up to the human girl she sat on. The same thing was on both of their minds. Though before Minako could ask-

"Though when I finally got the courage to do so…"

She answered for them.

"…it was too late."

The entirety of the room was silent, said silence seeming to consume the whole church as well. It was nothing short of utmost relief when the woman finally decided to shatter it.

"My aunt, who still lived there at the time, had alerted me that my parents had both died under similar circumstances."

"…was it the drugs?"

"…shameful as it is, that's what I thought at first too." The nun confessed. "But no. My father's liver had been damaged beyond repair, but he hadn't had a drink in a decade after I left."

Indeed, this was far from what either Minako or Luna expected to hear. "After I had left, my aunt told me they were nothing short of devastated. They binged out heavily on their respective, yet destructive comforts, yet came to see that such things contributed to my leaving in the first place. So, unknownst to me, they had gotten their lives together over the next few years. My dad had given up drinking entirely, and my mother was seeing a therapist for her problems. She still took medication, though only as prescribed, and how she managed to do so without reverting back, I don't know." She then leaned over the table, elbows resting on the flat surface as she clasped her hands together. "Yet as I said…dad's liver was already shot, and mom developed a malignant tumor in her stomach. Something she didn't notice for some time due to the numbing effects of her former addiction." She inhaled. "My aunt said that they believed that, if they got themselves together, then maybe I'd come back. That they could find out where I was and tell me that everything was ok. That I could come home again. But they, like me, were afraid of how I'd react and what I'd do. They…" her breath hitched, her head unconsciously dipping downward. Minako rose up from her chair (unintentionally dislodging Luna from her place) and placed her hand on the holy woman's shoulder as now, she was the one letting tears fall. "They died believing that I hated them. That they had possibly caused me to either get mugged or killed wherever I was, and that, even if I was alive, I wouldn't want anything to do with them." The woman brought her hand to her face. "And…had I not been so scared myself…I could've spent at least their last moments with them. Even if it was just for a minute, at least I could let them know. At least I could've given them peace."

Both the princess of Venus and her future Queen's mentor were left shocked, absolutely stupefied. Had they not been here, seeing this woman pouring her heart out to them at this very second, neither of them could've perhaps grasped that, indeed, what was happening was very real. Luna especially could scarcely believe it. Even more, who would've thought that the woman she had initially believed her own love to harbor an infatuation towards had a story such as this to tell. Someone that she had simply written off so easily…

"It's not the same situation as what I experienced," the nun spoke again, finally able to calm herself down somewhat. "Yet I think it's safe to say that your dilemma holds the same problem. That's why I urge you." She then took Minako's hands. "Go to your friend. Go and talk to him. Even if he's angry, talk to him. Even if he doesn't want to talk, let him know how you feel and want to express. And if he is willing to listen, then assure him that you truly mean what you say." Her darkly colored eyes looked down for a moment. "I can't guarantee that your friendship will instantly be repaired, let alone his relationship with his girlfriend."

"I imagined that." The blonde girl confessed. "Lun…Lulu's in a similar spot too. She's worried he hates her too."

"Then both of you do such. Either separate or together, whatever gives you more courage to do it. Even if your bonds with him won't be fixed overnight, perhaps for some time maybe, at least you both weren't held back from doing so." She drew a little closer, brown eyes piercing Minako's blue. "Please, don't make the same mistake that I did. There's not a day that goes by where I don't regret not being brave enough to try and patch things up."

CLAP!

The blonde and nun stiffened, Luna feeling the hairs on her back stiffening.

CLAP!

CLAP!

CLAP!

"Wonderful."

A voice said, all three looking to the open entrance to the small area, a shadow seen trailing along the wall, the owner of said shadow then making his entrance, Minako recognizing him instantly.

"Absolutely inspiring." A magenta haired man garbed in light; similarly colored garments stepped into the room. His top consisted of a cloth wrapped around his pectoral area tightly, a section covering his right shoulder. He bore, strangely enough, what appeared to be skirt and tights of the same colors, darkly colored shoes with heels, gloves of an orangish-red, and a choker of dark violet. "I'd expect nothing less from one with such pure, lovely dreams…"

**Note: Again, going to be breaking canon for this, if not to make Minako not as much of a hypocrite in what occurs not long after the episode this is based on. That was a bit of a run-on sentence. That said, here's hoping you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Note: Hello again, back with another chapter. Just got back from vacation, so here's hoping you forgive me. Again, rewriting canon here a bit (as really, this and the other episode where Minako's the victim makes her look bad), but again, hope you can forgive me. **

**Thank you and enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

**SM © of Mrs. NT**

"What are you doing here?!" the Minako cried out, lifting herself from her seat and readying herself. The ebony feline beside her arched her back, hairs on her back standing up.

"What reason do I need?" the pink haired man questioned, shrugging his shoulders. "This is a house welcome to all, isn't it?"

"Not if you plan to do harm." The holy woman answered, also having risen from her chair. "Miss, please, take your cat and leave. I'll deal with him."

"My, my, sister, where's the 'unconditional love'?"

The nun stepped in front of the blonde girl. "Get out, or I WILL call the police! Don't believe that I will simply allow you to do as you please, especially to this young woman!"

Hawk's Eye released a small chuckle, folding his arms, a torch of sorts seemingly manifesting from thin air. "Very courageous of you, nothing less from a woman such as yourself." He then drew the torch back. "But I'm not here for you this time."

He brought the end to his mouth and blew, a stream of flames pouring out and heading straight for the three. Or so they thought. Minako and Luna saw that instead of the flames making their way towards them, the stream of fire dipped upward above their heads, then downward again. To their horror, right in the direction of the holy woman.

"Watch out!" Minako hollered, wasting no time in rushing over and ducking, practically slamming into the woman and knocking both of them to the ground. Sure, the fall wasn't exactly the best feeling in the world, yet she'd rather take a bruise or two over third-degree burns. "You ok?"

"Don't worry about me, just go- "the nun's words were cut short upon seeing a pair of heels and tights before her. How in the world did he manage to travel that fast?!

"Well, isn't this my lucky day?" he then roughly grabbed the holy woman by the collar and forced her upward, bringing the torch just mere inches away from her face. "Always thought the phrase 'two birds with one stone' was too good to actually be true."

"Let go of her!" Minako demanded, having risen to her feet. Luna had made her way around the table and readied herself to charge right at the member of the Amazon Trio, though her ruby eyes found themselves shifting between the nun and representative of Venus. He said he hadn't come here for the nun's life this time…and 'two birds with one stone'…oh no.

"Minako!"

"One!"

Minako felt a hardened surface materialize from behind her, practically hugging up against her back.

"Two!"

Cuffs of thickened metal clamped around the girl's wrists and ankles, insanely tight and heavily restricting her movement and struggles.

"Get away from her!" She had lost any semblance of care in keeping her mouth shut, Luna shouted her demand and leapt up towards the magenta haired man.

"Three-gah!" Hawk's Eye hollered as a blur of black shot right at his face, latching onto his skin with its claws. Pain shot through his cheeks as small nails tore through the flesh, dislodging his hold of the nun and sending him stumbling around, grappling in desperation to get the loathsome feline off his face. Unfortunately, Luna's triumph was short lived, a pair of gloved hands seizing her sides and forcibly jerking her off, despite her claws ripping through the man's cheeks as he did so.

"Luna!" Minako shouted, still struggling in her bonds. "Don't you dare lay a hand on her!"

"Really?" the Trio member retorted, raising a brow. "I thought I had two!" with that, the cat's small body was slammed against the table, bouncing off and right into one of the cups, glass breaking and falling to the floor, along with the cat. "Now…"

"No!" a voice shouted from behind him, a pair of arms grabbing him from behind.

Brazen for a nun, he thought. Unfortunately, not good enough. With his free arm, Hawk's Eye delivered a sucker punch to the woman's head, knocking her back against the wall. She then slumped over to the ground, rendered unconscious.

He turned his gaze to the trapped Minako, her blue eyes widening in horror. "Three."

The pain was immediate.

A immense pull from her chest, from what felt to be from her inner being came to her, the blonde girl unable to contain the agonized scream as she felt part of herself literally separate from the rest of her: a mirror of pink with a blue ribbon stationed at the top, the glass completely stainless and without flaw. Flashbacks to her incident involving the Witches 5 and the Deathbusters came to her as her eyes, focused on the object. While perhaps wasn't the best time, she found herself still somewhat aware and awake in comparison to when her heart crystal was ripped from her. It wasn't much better of an alternative, though how long she'd be able to retain any sense of awareness had yet to be seen.

"Finally," Hawk's Eye huffed, wincing as he laid a hand on one of his scratched cheeks. Blasted cat did a number on him, he had to admit. "Just you and me."

"You…" she struggled to even speak; words barely able to fall from her tongue. Maybe this wasn't a slightly better alternative. "Don't think this means you've won!" still, she wouldn't give this creep the satisfaction. "The second I get out of here, prepare to face- " 'my' was about to slip from her lips, though she stopped herself. "The wrath of Sailor Moon!"

"Oh, is that so?" the magenta haired man inquired. "You know, it's funny. I've had my eye on you for some time, now, Ms. Aino. And really, it's come to me as to why not continue our search whenever we can? Why should we stop after only one hunch per day?"

"Yeah, that's so! Sailor Moon's coming!" Minako shouted, feeling her strength leaving her, completely ignoring what he said after. "And Venus! Definitely Sailor Venus!"

"No kidding." Hawk's Eye chuckled. "What a coincidence! Just so happened to run into them and the rest of that miserable lot earlier!" his eyes turned to the black cat, still unconscious on the floor next to broken glass. "Along with that cat…"

Minako froze, a chill running up her spine, and not for herself.

"Though, if I recall, Venus had a white one following her earlier." He said aloud, this being little more than an observation he was recollecting, though he took notice of how the girl's face contorted up him mentioning that. What was this? "What's that frown all about?"

"Nothing." The blonde immediately retorted.

"Quite a reaction for 'nothing', isn't it?" he told her, approaching her, eyes centered on the mirror. "Is it your cat?"

"It's a 'he'." She blurted out, then realizing what she had just let slip.

"He? Well then, is 'he' your cat?"

Of course, she held no intention to tell him the truth, though now, she was wondering if her answer would soon become such. "N-No."

"No, of course not." Hawk's Eye answered in a condescending tone, taking ahold of the mirror. "I mean, it's not like he's going to be able to come to your rescue, right?"

Minako only responded with a whimper, again, another indication that this girl knew more than what she was letting on. Nevertheless, his objective was right in front of him. With a single thrust, he plunged his head through the glass of the mirror, streams of bright light emitting from it as he did so. The trapped blonde hollered and screamed once again as he did this, feeling her inner most being twisting and turning, as if her very soul was being violated. Thankfully, this sensation was short lived as he soon exited from her mirror, the girl barely able to breathe after his little 'peek'.

"No luck." He huffed in disappointment. "You've got quite the vibrant, colorful palette of dreams, but no flying horse."

Flying horse…Minako gritted her teeth. "P-Pegasus?"

"Hm?" Hawk's Eye turned his gaze from the mirror. "Oh. So, you DO know of what I seek."

What was he saying? Everything was growing dark, not to mention silent. She could barely register anything anymore.

"Well then, given you know that, perhaps you can answer a few more questions for me." With a gentle push, the mirror faded, going back into its proper place inside the girl's spirit. With a gasp, Minako found her senses coming back to her. Back enough for her to register that her captor had taken her chin in a firm grip, forcibly keeping it in place, red eyes fixated on her blue. "Where is Sailor Moon now? No, better yet." He drew closer. "Who is Sailor Moon?"

Her eyes widened. "Uh…" they shifted. "What sort of question is that?" she retorted. "What makes you think I know a thing about her, let alone anyone else she's with?! Geez, you're even dumber than I thought- "

SLAP!

Her right cheek stung, his gloved hand far from lightening the blow. "I think I know now why you're not very popular with women…" though she was rewarded with yet another slap, she regretted nothing.

"Who is she?!" Hawk's Eye demanded, slamming his hands on the coffin-shaped stand the held Minako, he now mere inches away from her. "Who is Sailor Moon!?" he bellowed. "If you know of Pegasus, then you know of how to contact him! Better yet, how that pink haired brat that tags along with her can all him! What's their connection?! What's yours with Sailor Moon and the other Scouts!" he slammed his hands again. "Answer me!"

Suddenly, both of them became aware of a sweet scent that filled the air.

Roses?

Just barely shifting to the right, a single rose shot forward and embedded itself into the wall. Great. Just great.

"GET OFF OF HER!"

To his dismay, Hawk's Eye found yet another pair of claws tearing into the flesh that composed his face, a blur of ivory white encompassing his vision.

"Artemis?!" Minako shouted, a welling of relief developing within her. He came. After everything, he came. For her…

This relief and gratitude were short lived as the Trio member seized him in the same manner as Luna, his small body bouncing against the wall before coming down to the floor. Thankfully, he managed to make use of his feline body and land on his feet, only to realize that the black cat by him wasn't so lucky. "Luna?!" he wasted no time in going to her, tongue gently licking her cheek and paws being used to shake her still form. Anything to potentially rouse her. Nothing. "Luna…" his blue eyes turned to the magenta haired member of the Amazon Trio, rage burning in his eyes. "You'll pay for this! I swear by the Moon itself!"

"So, it was not enough that you violate one young woman?" the caped bearer of the rose spoke, having made his presence known. Even more, to Hawk's Eye's dismay, he wasn't alone. "You had to go and intrude on the sacred space of yet another poor soul's dreams?"

Speak of the devil (ironic, given where they all were), the bun headed annoyance and little brat were here too. "Exactly!" the former of the two exclaimed, clearly enraged. "Those who prey on the hopes and dreams of innocents, especially in their most difficult times, will not get off lightly!" she then stepped forward. "We are the Sailor Scouts!"

Then the former interjected. "And we stand for love and justice!"

Readying for her trademark pose, the fuku wearing, blonde girl "I am Sailor Moon!"

"And I'm Sailor Chibi Moon!"

"And in the name of the moon," both said the next part in unison. "We shall punish you!"

"Yes, yes, I'm aware." Hawk's Eye moaned. "I've already heard it enough to last me a lifetime. Do you think I have a short-term memory or something? Or is your ego that large that you just HAVE to tell everyone who you are every single time we meet?"

Sailor Moon's blue eyes widened in shock, though her expression quickly transitioned to that of anger. "How…how dare you!" she yelled, stomping her booted foot. "Do you know how hard it is to come up with a speech on the fly! I improv it all, you know!" she continued, clearly becoming more and more enraged. "And if anything, it's your fault that I have to! But I've been doing this for years! I'm a pro by this point!"

"You're many things," Chibi Moon sighed. "But a pro at anything is not one of them."

"I don't think I was TALKNG to YOU!"

The member of the Trio said nothing throughout the two's exchange, inwardly groaning. True, the possibility of these two and cape boy came to him, yet up until now, he realized just how close he was to potentially unlocking the identity of the blonde menace before him.

"Ha!" Minako barked. "Told you! You're in for it now, buddy!"

Her retort was met only with a smirk, of which immediately put her on edge. "Three."

The girl's agonized screams drew Moon's, Chibi Moon's, and Tuxedo Mask's attention back to the trapped girl, Artemis scampering over and seeing what had just taken place, eyes centered right on the mirror that had been ripped from her once again.

"Perhaps I should explain." Hawk's Eye began, quickly swiping the mirror away from its owner. "One step forward, and I smash it." he then looked down. "You hear that, cat?" Artemis gave a low growl, yet ultimately stood where he was, the others doing likewise. "See, this fine lady here apparently knows this little hairball here" he gestured to Artemis. "And seeing as he and that black one over there almost always follow you around," he then pointed to Sailor Moon. "It suddenly dawned on me that perhaps she knows more than she's letting on. Particularly in who you may be…"

All four of them froze upon hearing that, the representative of the Moon especially. Though when her gaze fell on her untransformed friend, she steeled herself. "No way." She assured, voice firm. "I've never seen her in my life. She's just an innocent girl that you've take advantage of."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

The Amazon's shadow spread out on the floor, a familiar symbol appearing on the floor, as well as a pair of eyes that seemingly stared hungrily at the mirror in its master's grasp. Rising from the shadow was a creature that took the shape of a woman in a dress of sorts, hair up in a bun and with some sort of veil. The dress resembled that found at a wedding, billowing skirt and two, poofy, short sleeves just below the elbow that held small parts that fanned out at the bottom.

"Go on, introduce yourself, Takotsubo."

"Gladly!" the newly summoned Lemure allowed the darkness of the shadow to slip from her, allowing herself to truly be seen: She bore slimy, teal skin with slit, reddened eyes composed of only a scalera with thick mascara and eye makeup on, as well as powdered cheeks and ruby red lips. Her 'bun' were actually a small jar of sorts stationed on her head, her 'skirt' also being composed of the same multitude of appendages as well. She bore a tightly fitting corset of white with a full, white bow stationed in the middle where her full breasts lay, a red gem centered in the middle of the bow. Her puffy sleeves resembled that of jellyfish, translucent and bearing a similarly slimy look akin to the rest of her, something of which transferred to her gloves. Though atop of her head, a tiara of silver bearing red roses on each side that held a veil that trailed behind her, too bearing the same translucence as her sleeves. "Thank you all for coming to such a lovely occasion as this." She then turned her sights on Minako. "Though really, it would've been more appropriate for me to have done something black."

"I take that you know what to do, Takotsubo." Hawk's Eye told the summoned monster, a darkened void materializing behind him. "I believe I've overstayed my welcome." With that, he backflipped through the void, it promptly closing upon him doing so. Though not before tossing the dream mirror in the monster's grasp.

"Indeed, I do." The Lemure licked her lips as she looked at the object, eyeing it hungrily.

"Don't you dare!" Artemis cried out, he leaping up at the cephalopod-like woman, only for her to use her tentacles and jump out of the way, landing right on top of the singed table.

"Ah, ah, ah." She lectured, waving a finger. "You wouldn't want to break it, would you?" she then turned her attention to it again, then to the adversaries surrounding her. "I propose a deal to you all, especially you, Miss Moon." Sailor Moon gritted her teeth. "Let it spill on who's behind that ridiculous costume, or…" she then dropped the mirror to the table. Sailor Moon, Chibi, and Artemins all ran to make a grab for it, only to have a powerful tentacle snatch it up first. Leaning back somewhat, everyone saw, to their horror, a large, hardened, black beak of sorts lying in the center of her underside, a long, slurping tongue seemingly coated in an adhesive substance coming out and latching onto Minako's mirror, quickly pulling it in the gaping maw and shutting tight. Letting herself fall back into a standing position, Takotsubo looked to the four. "Or that girl there is never getting this back."

**Note: There were two choices for what I would name this particular Lemure, Takotsubo or Bridromeda. And while I went with the former, there is a reason as to choosing it than just it being 'Japanese'. While true, a takotsubo is a Japanese jar used to trap octopi, there's a condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or stress cardiomyopathy. Or more simply, broken-heart syndrome. That said, here's hoping you liked, and that I see you later! Read and review, please! Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: Hello, sorry for the delay. I'm feeling I need to get these smaller projects out of the way before heading on bigger things. That said, here's another chapter!**

**Sailor Moon © of Mrs. NT**

"Well?" Takotsubo questioned, drumming her fingers on her arm. "Do you really have to make me force it out of you?" Sailor Moon said nothing, steeling herself. "Oh, all right." The Lemure groaned. "Though, I ask that you not get this too dirty." She said, gesturing to her attire. "Lest it be with your blood!"

With that, she pounced, opening her tentacles and presenting a darkened, toothy maw.

The trio jumped out of the way, the octopus woman seizing a chair instead, said chair splintering the moment she brought her multiple appendages down.

"Chibi Moon!" Tuxedo Mask called out, the rose haired Sailor Scout nodding in agreement.

"Please, Pegasus!" she prayed aloud, clasping her hands together. "Protector of- "

"Don't try it!" Takotsubo yelled, the younger girl finding her throat being seized, choking as her feet left the ground to kick blindly at dead air.

"Chibi Moon!" Sailor Moon cried out, directing her attention to the blue skinned woman. "Release her!"

"Or what?" Takotsubo asked, tightening her tentacle. "From what I've seen, you need this pint-sized wretch in order to summon that flying horse. As well as gain access to how you've slaughtered so many of us in the past." She snarled. "Honestly, do you HAVE anything else you can do besides that?"

"As a matter of fact," the blonde representative of the Moon began, reaching up to remove the golden band of jewelry stationed on her head. "I do." The Lemure stiffened, wondering what in the world was happening. The tiara…it was suddenly bathed in a golden light to where it seemed to resemble that of a golden disk. "MOON TIARA MAGIC!" The 'disc' flew forward, the once dull piece of jewelry now akin to that of a chakram, slicing through the tentacle entirely and releasing the pink haired child from its grasp. Pools of indigo liquid poured out from the wound, Takotsubo in turn releasing a shriek at both the pain and sight of her injury. The tiara returned to Sailor Moon, though she still held the still glowing disk in her hand. "Try that again, and every other one will meet the same!"

The Lemure continued to wail and scream, holding her halved appendage…until her cries stopped, everyone growing tense. Soon, instead of despair, small giggles erupted from her. Said giggles then evolving into pure laugher. "Oh, you ARE nothing more than a dumb blonde!" she chortled. "Do you even KNOW one of the first things about cephalopods!?" no one even got a chance to respond, as, before their eyes, the cut limb appeared to 'expand' and 'stretch' before their eyes, growing until it seemingly retained its original shape, as if it had never been removed at all.

"Oh…right." Sailor Moon stammered. 'That WAS something in Biology, wasn't it?'

"Now, allow me to demonstrate one of MY hidden talents," the red gem centered in her chest began to glow, as well as her eyes. Tuxedo Mask shot a rose in her direction, though she used one of the broken chair legs to block the incoming flower, tossing it to the side and causing Artemis to leave Luna, seeing as it was heading his direction. Thankfully, he saw that the black feline wasn't even hit. "Broken Heart Wave!" a series of darkened, ruby energy shot from the gem, blackened surges of what appeared to be electricity poured out, in the center of this wave, a stream of brightly colored hearts.

The three leapt out of the way of the blast, yet said blast only continued, chasing them as they ran away from it, tearing through furniture and the wood that composed of the walls. Takotsubo then aimed it right in the middle of the group, forcing the three to separate from each other, Chibi Moon leaping to the right whilst Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Man leapt to the left. Sending a predatory glare her way, the octopus based Lemure directed her beam in the direction of the young girl, the younger Sailor Scout immediately shielded herself with her arms.

"CHIBI MOON!" a voice cried out, a larger figure leaping out in front of the her, taking the blast at full force. Sailor Moon was sent flying back a good few feet, her head bouncing off of the floor before landing on her stomach in a twisted heap.

"Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask shouted, rushing to her side. Taking her body in his arms, he began to lightly shake her, sighing in relief as she managed to actually respond.

Despite her current position, let alone state, Minako's vision was still miraculously working, she weakly turning her head to Takotsubo. "What's this?" the Lemure said. "You're still conscious after all this time?" she moved closer, taking her chin in her hand. "Granted, it's clear that you're fading away." A low hiss was heard from behind, Takotsubo turning around to glance at the cat. "You'll stay put if you know what's good for her."

"…ngh…" the blonde grit her teeth. "You…you'll get what's coming…to you."

The octopus bride chuckled. "Not by that of your friend."

"Wh-What? What do you do?"

"Just watch."

Blue eyes fluttered open to see an ivory mask contrasting with darkened bangs, yet it was clear to the masked protector of Earth that something was amiss. Her once, vibrant irises were all that lay in the white scalera, dulled and glassy. The minute she saw him, said eyes began to water, brow furrowing and bottom lip being bit down on hard. "Mamo…" she began, voice clearly strained and hitching.

"Usa-" he stopped himself. "Sailor Moon?"

"Mamo-chan…" she continued. "Oh Mamo-chan!" she began to holler, tears flowing from her eyes. "I'm so sorry!" she threw her arms around him, he in turn clearly confused. "I've been such a bad, bad girlfriend and future wife!"

Suffice to say, the other three were completely lost.

"What…did you do to her?!" Minako snarled, her chest beginning to intensify in pain.

"Didn't you hear me?" the octopus based Lemure snickered. "Like how that ditz's signature move is that Moon Gorgeous whatever, I just so happen to utilize my personal little talent I call the Broken Heart Wave."

"It sounds stupid!" Chibi Moon retorted, gloved hands clenching into fists.

Takotsubo growled, thrusting a tentacle in the young girl's direction. Thankfully, she was able to leap out of the way, the appendage smashing through the part of the table that had unfortunately got in its way. "It's far more than what either of you two could come up with!" she shouted, clearly insulted. "At least I put work and effort into perfecting instead of having some flying horse just GIVE me my powers!"

"Answer her question!" Artemis spoke up, finally having enough of being forced out of the way and unable to do anything. "What does that thing do?!"

"Exactly what it's called." Takotsubo answered, turning to face the cat. "My attack is a mass of negative energy and force that, once it makes contact, fills the heart and mind of the target with utmost despair and heartbreak related to the one or ones they care for the most. Like so," she then gestured to the clearly distraught, formerly stalwart young woman in a sailor fuku.

"What in the world's gotten into you?!" Tuxedo Mask questioned, trying to the get the clearly frantic girl off him. If not to simply avoid the beginning development of concentrations of mucus in her nostrils.

"I'm so sorry!" Sailor Moon continued to wail. "I'm sorry about calling you all those things before we started dating back then!"

"Wh-What? What are you- "

"And hurting you when Beryl took you! You weren't in control, but I still hurt you!"

"Usa-" geez, her slipping was about to make him slip and say something he shouldn't have. "Sailor Moon, I wasn't exactly in the best state of mind, literally- "

"And when Anne had set her sights on you! I was so ready to go into a jealous rage when neither you nor any of the girls had any idea who they even were!"

"Listen, can't we save all this for later- "

"And when you avoided me!" she continued, seemingly not even paying him any mind. "I should've known that something was wrong! I should've known that you would've never just up and left me unless it was for my own safety!"

That seemed to give him pause.

"Oh, what's this?" Takotsubo began, linking her fingers together in anticipation. "Is that guilt I see in your features?" she asked the caped man. "Looks like you've got some share in your marital problems, don't you?" a smile curled on her lips. "You're still feeling tore up about something, aren't you?"

Tuxedo Mask's lips tightened. "That's no concern of yours! Whatever it is, it is between us!"

"WAH!" his rage didn't last long, Sailor Moon quite literally crushing him underneath her. "OH MAMO-CHAN!"

"Pfft! Mamo-Chan?" the octopus Lemure giggled. 'By Queen Nehelenia herself, this is amazing!'

"Sailor Moon!" Chibi Moon shouted, going over to try and pry the bawling young woman off the masked man. "C'mon! You can kiss and make up later! Minako needs you!" despite her efforts, the blonde representative of the Moon wouldn't budge. "You!" with that, the pink haired youth directed her sights back on the Lemure. "Whatever you've done, that Heartbreak whatever, stop it!"

"No can do, short stuff." Takotsubo snickered. "My Broken Heart Wave has already altered her mind to where nothing else save for her crimes, supposed or not, matters. She's in no shape to fight me, let alone rescue this young lady here!" she gestured to the captive Minako. "Sorry! Looks like I'm gonna have myself a tasty little mirror after all!"

"You will do no such thing!" Artemis snarled, hair on his back raised up as his back arched, tail upright in a display of aggression. Though her reaction made his tail begin to descend. She seemed…pleased by his reaction. And not in a way where she simply would retort with another boast of how they wouldn't succeed.

Underneath the table, she found the world beginning to become familiar with her again. She wasn't all there, but the fact she was feeling the pounding in her head was more than enough of an indication her senses were coming back. "Actually…" the black cat heard from above, the voice unfamiliar to her. "I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Ar…temis?"

Back up above, the ivory cat steeled himself, blue eyes completely focused on the Lemure. Something was off. "About what?" he questioned. "Though I'm sure you're aware that we have nothing to share with each other."

"Oh, I don't think so." Takotsubo answered back. "I think we have a LOT to talk about." Her eyes shifted down to the corner of the table. "Mainly about your 'little woman'. Would that be the appropriate thing to call her?" Artemis was about to protest, but she cut him off. "And before you start, don't bother denying it. Hawk Eye's been following the blonde since she arrived here. And who do you think he brought along just for the task?" upon saying that, she took ahold of some of Minako's golden locks, letting them fall from in between her fingers. "Hey there!" she directed her attention to Sailor Moon. "As much as I like to hear you wailing in agony, I've come up with a proposition for you!"

"Wh-What?" Sailor Moon sniffled in turn, having almost lost her voice completely from the fits of crying.

"I take it you and your honey aren't exactly having the best time over there." The Lemure chuckled. "Having a good amount of problems? No resolution in sight?" she flexed her tentacles. "Afraid that it's over between you two?"

Neither said anything, though the creature's words seemed to hit home for both of them. She then set her eyes on Sailor Moon. "I could take this pain away from you, you know. In fact, I could make things right between you two again."

"Y-You can?"

"Usako, no!" Tuxedo Mask hissed. "Remember your dignity!" he said louder. "Minako is counting on you!"

"Indeed, she is." Takotsubo said, lightly stroking the other girl's cheek. "Though, it seems you're having quite a bit of trouble concentrating. Not good for you OR anyone else here. You DO want to save her, don't you?"

"Y-Yes!" Sailor Moon cried out, rising to her feet. Her chest still ached and swelled painfully inside her, yet a look at the young woman strapped to the device brought some of her senses back. "More than…" she paused, catching Tuxedo Mask in the corner of her eye.

"Then it shall be done." Takotsubo answered. "Just tell me who's behind all that glam and glitter." She shifted and writhed her tentacles, each operating as a separate leg working to carry her closer to the young woman. "Who are you really?"

"That's it?" the bun headed scout said, though she quickly retracted her words. Oh, her chest felt so unnaturally heavy. "I…I can't do that."

"Not even for her?" the Lemure taunted, still stroking Minako's cheek. "So, you WISH for me to keep her mirror?"

"No! Of course not! Then…" tears began welling up in her eyes. "Then Mamo-chan will hate me for sure even more!"

"Yes, he would, wouldn't he?" the Lemure sneered. "Mamo-chan. She even has a pet name for you."

"Quiet you!" Tuxedo Mask bellowed, rising to his feet.

"I speak the truth!" Takotsubo argued back. "I see it in your eyes." She smiled. "Whatever's happened with this Minako and…'Lulu' has brought up some things for you too, hasn't it?" she then turned to Artemis, then to Minako. "But unfortunately, I don't think she was being too honest with the holy woman."

The blonde trapped girl weakly clenched her hands into fists. "You…you won't…"

"Oh, give it up already." The Lemure groaned, though her eyes shifted back to the ivory cat still eyeing her. Perfect. "In fact, it's come to my attention that, seeing as your so called 'friend' her isn't loosening her lips anytime soon," a tentacle rose up, the once rounded edge seemingly sharpening itself to where it bore quite the resemblance to quite the sizable blade. "Perhaps a more direct manner will get her talking!"

"NO!" Artemis bellowed, lunging right for Takotsubo's bare back.

Excellent.

Whirling around, the ivory cat found himself ensnared in thickened coils of warm, slimy appendages, the bearer of said appendages turning to face the trapped feline. "I do apologize," the Lemure began, Artemis noticing the red gem on her chest and eyes emitting a red glow. "Yet since Hawkeye and I arrived, I've been meaning to get a one-on-one session with you."

"Artemis!"

Takotsubo lifted herself partially off the ground to present her toothy maw, a series of squirts of blackened liquid shooting outward and contacting the three available to combat her. Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Man, and Chibi Moon were soon kept in place, on the ground, by a thickened substance of black. She then directed her attention back to her current captive.

The cat's vision was overtaken by surges of black and red energy, the stream of hearts directly hitting him in the face. There was no means of escape or a way to direct his gaze away, the close contact completely dissolving and shattering his will to fight against the continuous onslaught, and, with a heavy sigh, he was forced to relax in her grip, eyes gaining a glassy film to them.

"Now," the Lemure began, folding her arms. "How about we start from the beginning, shall we?" she then directed her gaze to Minako. "Just how HAS this wrench hurt you?"

**Note: Though she may not be too different from the other Lemure, I wanted Takotsubo to have a sadistic streak to her, in that she clearly gets off to the pain of others. And I also wanted to give that in her design as well: she's semi-dressed as a bride, but she specializes in breaking hearts and trapping people in their guilt and hurt. **

**Here's hoping you liked! Reviews are the best encouragement, so please if you will!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Note: 2nd to last chapter here! So, SO sorry for no update in some time!**

**Chapter 7**

"Oh, I see…" Takostubo grinned, looking at the semi-conscious blonde girl. "My, my. Quite a thrilling and sad tale, isn't it?" a small tear formed in the corner of Minako's eye. "Well, I can see why he doesn't want anything to do with either you or the other cat. So much for years of friendship and trust, huh?"

"Shut up!" a voice called out from below, Luna having finally gotten up. "You...you keep out of this! This has nothing to do with you!"

"And that matters?" the Lemure scoffed. "If anything, I'm the one that holds the aces now! You all brought this on yourselves! I'm just making sure that everything is out in the open!" the tentacled monster narrowed her red eyes. "Or would you rather things simply go back to the way they were? Like it never happened?" Luna lowered her head. "And what does your little daughter think? Poor thing...must believe that this is all her fault. What kind of mother are you?"

"Somebody you should leave alone!" a high pitched voice shouted, Takostubo turning and seeing a blur of grey as the grey object latched onto her face, claws digging and slashing at her blue skin.

"Ah! What the..gah! Get off!" With a swipe of her hand, she dislodged the kitten from her face, said kitten landing on her feet.

Sailor Chibi Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Sailor Moon were taken from their current predicament and had their attention solely focused on the lone kitten that had entered the fray. "Stay away from my Mommy and Daddy!"

"Oh," Takotsubo sneered. "So, YOU'RE the cause of all this."

"Wh-What?" Diana flinched.

"You know what I mean." the Lemure continued. "Your Daddy told me all about it." she looked to the entranced white feline in her tentacle.

"Wh-What did you do to Daddy?!" Diana demanded, hairs rising on her back.

"I did nothing." Takotsubo said, looking at the cat she held. "Only made him just a little more 'open' in sharing what was truly troubling him. Isn't that right, dear?" Artemis nodded his head, still completely out of it and a slave to the power of the Lemure's power.

"Sh-Shut up!" Diana shouted back. "He told me it wasn't my fault! He told me!"

"And you know this is the truth, how?" Takotsubo questioned. "Maybe he was just saying that. Maybe he was just trying to get you to go away. After all, after all the trouble you caused, why would either your Mommy or Daddy want you to stay?"

"You…" Diana stammered, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're lying!"

"Prove it."

The kitten lunged, ready to pounce, only for a large, muscled tentacle to block her path, slapping the kitten out of the way. Diana slammed into the wall, bouncing off of it and to the ground, landing and then growing still.

"Di...ana?" Artemis turned, the sight of a grey kitten on the floor catching his eye. His...his daughter. His daughter...that had just been hurt. And his future wife...that was leaning over the still body, trying to shake her awake. "Diana!" he cried out, Takostubo's thrall leaving him. "Diana!" he bit down hard on the tentacle ensnaring him, the Lemure yelping out in pain and being forced to release him, the white cat landing on his feet and rushing over to the still, grey kitten. "Diana! Diana!" he called out, Luna still shaking her.

"Diana, sweetie, please! Get up!" the black cat begged, only for the kitten to not stir. Chibi Moon dashed over towards the trio of felines and looked down, she too was trying to rouse the kitten. Only for her efforts to have no effect as well.

Sailor Moon or not, the pink haired girl had to do something! "Please Pegasus! Protector-"

"Oh, no you don't!" Chibi Moon found the air was knocked out of her, a tentacle whipping around and wrapping around her tiny form. Takostubo immediately went to work squeezing and applying pressure to the small girl, she felt her ribcage beginning to ache and lungs struggling for breath.

"Usako, please!" Tuxedo Mask said, trying to get Sailor Moon off of him. "We don't have time for this! We've got to-"

"AHH!" the blonde representative of the moon was directed towards the source of the cry, her glassy eyes seeing the pink haired Sailor Scout ensnared in the tentacle of the Lemure.

"Chibi Moon…" Sailor Moon moaned, feeling the complete and utter despair and self-loathing thrust upon her dissipating, the continued sight of her daughter's struggles breaking through the veil formerly cast. "CHIBI MOON!" she wasted no time, rushing forward and brandishing her tiara. "MOON TIARA MAGIC!"

Takostubo had no time to react, the magically infused object slicing through her tentacle and subsequently releasing Chibi Moon from its grip. Tuxedo Mask rushed to grab her, Sailor Moon standing front of them both. Artemis and Luna also got into the fray, their claws unsheathed and glaring daggers at the octopus based Lemure. "You'll pay for this with your life!"

Takostubo was taken aback by this, stepping back. "You...how?! How did you escape the effects of my power?!"

"Attacking someone's child does that to you!" Artemis shouted, kneeling and getting into position.

"But...but how?!" Takostubo then pointed directly to Luna. "She assumed the worst of you!" she then pointed to Minako. "And she took the years you two had together and cast it aside on baseless accusations! How...no! You must hate them! You must! You told me-"

"I never said such a thing!" Artemis cut the Lemure off, then looking at Luna. "Yes...I admit it. I was hurt. I was hurt badly. I felt that the years between us meant nothing if it could be shattered so easily. How it mattered to no one." Luna lowered her head. "But," her eyes widened. "Even with that, I could never, EVER hate either of them." Minako couldn't respond, yet even in her state, she could hear the ivory feline's words clear as day. "I said things in anger I didn't mean. And I'm sorry for that. And because of this whole mess, an innocent kitten's been hurt more than any of us." his blue eyes looked at the still motionless kitten. "She's just entered our lives, and I still know so little about her, but," he turned back to Takotsubo. "Now that she is here, this cannot be a determining factor in her life! She has no part in this, and as her father, I shall see to it that she knows such!"

The octopus based Lemure's eye twitched, losing her cool. "And what about you?" she turned to Luna. "You and that girl said it yourselves. You two feel like you can't be forgiven. Do you think a simple 'sorry' will undo this?"

"...no." Luna answered. "Sorry isn't good enough. Indeed, I rightfully feel guilt for what's happened, and even more for the effects that it's had on my own child." she lowered her head, Takotsubo gaining a small smirk. "But," the Lemure paused. "What good will wallowing in it do? What good would feeding useless self-pity get me? No. I won't go down that path." her red eyes turned to the still unconscious nun on the floor. "I shall take what's been given to me and use it to start a new tomorrow! I will not let this destroy what has been built between me and Artemis for years! Years that you will NEVER be able to account for!"

"Love cannot be so easily rendered asunder." Sailor Moon then chipped in. "It is both a terrible and beautiful thing, able to bring you to the highest of peaks to the lowest of pits. Just as it can save it can also destroy." her gloved hand formed into a fist. "But I believe that, no matter what, if a love is true, then it can survive anything. Any pain or heartache, it can survive the strongest of winds and tides, and if those involved see to it that it flourishes and grows amidst the hardships and turmoil, then it will be unbreakable! Something that no amount of your evil magic can destroy!"

Takotsubo's teeth began to grind. THis… this wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to go this way! "You…" she snarled. "You…"

"Face it." Sailor Moon said firmly. "You've lost."

"N-No!" the Lemure roared. "It's not over! It's not over until I say it is!" she then leapt forward, heading right for the bun-headed Sailor Scout.

"MOON TIARA MAGIC!" the tiara flew from her hand and proceeded to slice off each and every one of Takotsubo's tentacles, the octopus-based Lemure falling to the floor.

"Y-You think that'll stop me?! Haven't you learned that they'll simply grow back!?"

"No, that won't stop you." Sailor Moon said matter-of-factly. "But I have something that will." She then turned to Chibi Moon.

"Right!" the pink haired girl shouted, her hands clasping together. "Please Pegasus!" she cried out, getting to her knees. "Protector of Dreams!" then, a golden bell was produced, the girl proceeding to ring it, the bell releasing a heavenly chime. "Crystal Twinkle Bell!"

Then, in a collection of light, the form of a flying horse materialized before all present, the light very near blinding them all. Pegasus directed his golden horn to Sailor Moon, who proceeded to draw out her weapon, then directed it in the direction of the Lemure who was struggling to get up.

"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"

The Lemure's red eyes widened in horror, the blast of light coming right towards her. The moment it struck her, searing pain and agony wracked her entire form, she felt the very fabric of her being coming undone in both a figurative and literal sense. "LOVE HURTS!" she cried out, the last words she said before she was completely destroyed, leaving nothing more than an empty space where she once resided.

From the spot she once resided, a single Dream Mirror floated, Sailor Moon taking a hold of it and going to the still unconscious Minako, who had been released from her bonds and had slumped to the floor. She felt a small form by her side, Artemis having come as well. "I think the honor is yours." Sailor Moon told him, taking the cat in one arm and the mirror in the other. Holding him, the ivory cat pushed his paw against the mirror, watching as the physical manifestation of Minako's dreams absorbed back into her chest, a low, relieved breath exiting the girl before she finally opened her eyes.

"Minako?" Artemis quietly said, Sailor Moon setting him down. The other blonde girl took in steady breaths, still trying to get sensation back to her body. Then, while quite unsteady, she lifted her hand and brought it to scratch lightly at the cat's chin, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks.

**Note: This will have a happy ending, I assure you! Thank you for the support!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Note: Final part here. I apologize that this took so long to get to in general. This fic is only 8 chapters (number was ranging around that in my head) and it's taken MONTHS to get to? And when I have other projects to work on? It's really bad. So sorry about that.**

**Chapter 8**

By the time the police arrived, the group had made themselves scarce. They were mainly called for the safety of the young nun. True, she seemed all right, yet given she was still unconscious and unaware when the whole battle was occuring, it was a unanimous decision to make sure. True, they were questioned by the paramedics that came there, yet given that the young sister was awake and able to testify for them, they at least weren't suspect. Ultimately though, they had to go to the station as the police were given details of what happened. Minako was also being seen by the ambulance workers due to her being attacked as well, yet aside from general exhaustion and somewhat low blood pressure, she was generally declared stable, thus, she could be released. By the time everyone had done all that, it was late at night, and thus, it was decided that things would have to wait until tomorrow. Everyone was warranted a bit of rest after what happened, even if such a thing as blasting otherworldly monsters was routine at the point.

The next day, Minako's place was open for visitors, though her parents asked that they keep the visit brief, seeing as their daughter could still be recovering from the attack she had suffered last night. "Her cat was unusually affectionate to her all night." they told the girls and Mamoru. "I mean, yeah, he sometimes gives her small rubs on her face and all, but I've never seen him that clingy to her." No one said anything, but they made their way up to the girl's room, Artemis awaiting them.

"Hey." Usagi greeted Minako, who was still in her pajamas and sitting on her bed as she listened to a CD player. Once she saw that she had company, she removed the headphones from her ears.

"Mom and Dad finally allow some people in?" she asked, the other blonde nodding, though then, she threw herself on her.

"I'm so sorry!" she hollered, tears welling up in her eyes. Everyone rolled their eyes collectively. Typical Usagi. Artemis outwardly groaned. "I'm so sorry I let that stupid octopus get the better of me at first!"

"Please," the white cat then spoke up. "Please, no more apologies. I've heard them nonstop already."

"Artemis is right." Minako agreed, gently pushing the other girl off her. "I'm not happy about all that went down yesterday either, but…" she then looked at the white cat, nodding for her to continue. "It's like that nun said." then to Luna. "And you." she confirmed. "Frankly, this whole thing's been dragged out longer than it needed to be."

"Sniff...I guess." Usagi agreed, still a little teary eyed.

"I'm just ready for it to be over and done with." Minako sighed. "I didn't believe it at first, but with some...coaxing," she looked at Artemis. "I realized that just wallowing in it makes it worse."

"Yeah...I got it." Usagi said, lifting herself up. "But...we ARE glad that you're ok. That both of you are ok."

"Well...I'll admit, it still is kinda fresh." the other blonde admitted. "But I guess it's still raw. It'll take some time to feel normal again." Artemis hopped up next to her, her hand gently rubbing his back. "But hey, skin doesn't patch itself together in one day. But you can put a band-aid on it." She looked to the spot that the ivory cat had scratched her before, a couple of bandages on the spot. Artemis gave them a series of small licks, she in turn patting his head.

Everyone seemed to be in agreement with that, though when Artemis' blue eyes fell on Luna, everyone gave pause. "Luna," he began, hopping down from the bed. "I need to tell you something."

The black cat's eyes widened, nervousness clear on her features. Still, she exited the room with him, antsy and somewhat worried as to what he could possibly want to discuss with her. "Yes?" she asked. "What is it?"

Artemis sighed, clearly uncomfortable. "It's about Diana…"

…

While it was sort of nice to have an entire bedroom to herself, the grey kitten couldn't help but feel somewhat lonesome. True, from what her daddy and mama had said, everything had been resolved...but...something still just felt wrong.

She felt wrong. Being here, that is. The Lemure's words echoed in her head, unable to leave her mind, even in her dreams, of which only cemented her choice.

"Diana?" the kitten looked up from the pillow and saw her ivory and ebony parents.

"Hm?" she was quite surprised and startled to see her parents on the windowsill. "What are you doing here?"

Both cats hopped down, Luna speaking first. "Your father told me that you're not ok."

"What do you mean-"

"Do you think that this is your fault?"

Diana simply stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Luna lowered her head. "Your father said that is what you told him."

The grey kitten looked to her dad, somewhat betrayed that her father had up and told her mother everything. Still...perhaps it was unavoidable. "Y-Yeah." she sighed. "And...I'm still thinking of going home-" Suddenly, the kitten was silenced by her mother taking a hold of her in her paws, small licks delivered on her head.

"I'm so, SO sorry." Luna breathed out, trying to hold back tears. "I wasn't thinking."

"Mama...I'm sorry for calling you mean-"

"You have NOTHING to apologize for." Luna pulled back for a moment, steeling herself and trying to appear authoritative, also one that she could confide in. "And if you won't listen to your father, listen to me."

"Mama-"

"None of this is, in any way, YOUR fault. None of it. Don't you DARE think such a thing."

"But...but if had just told you that I was-"

"I am at fault. Not you." Luna interrupted, finding it somewhat surreal that she was giving her recently discovered daughter such a lesson. Still, she sighed, looking to Artemis, who agreed. "And...please. You can't go back."

Diana widened her equally red eyes. "Go back where-"

"You can't go back to Crystal Tokyo. Now that I know what you are...who you are…" Luna hugged her child again. "I can't bear to just let you go."

Diana's eyes grew moist. "Mama…" she then buried her face in her mother's chest. "I don't wanna leave either."

"Then stay." Artemis then said, drawing close to them. "Though...you might have to be a little patient with us." he then gave Luna a nuzzle. "We're both new to this."

Diana then rubbed her head against her father. "Then you had BETTER make me happy, or else!"

All three of them laughed at that and embraced on another. It couldn't be denied that, in some way, Diana served two purposes. Their bonds were tested and somewhat torn...but also, that the emergence of this little kitten served to strengthen them even more.

**Note: And that's the end. So sorry for the wait on one of my far shorter stories. Thank you for your patience, and I hope I entertained you all!**


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